Best Lawyers in Chandigarh Man dies of HIV, wife sick too, wants in-laws booked

Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, September 1

Complaints against a Goraya-based family for allegedly knowingly marrying their HIV-positive son to a woman of a neighbouring village have fallen on deaf ears.

The man, a resident of Sargundi village of Goraya, died within six months of the marriage. As the family of the 27-year-old woman tried to remarry her, they realised that even she had contracted the fatal disease. The victim alleged that soon after her marriage last year, she had lodged complaints with Goraya police, women cell, 181 helpline and even the SSP, Jalandhar Rural, but to no avail.

The girl belongs to an underprivileged family. She says she was not even aware of the cause of her husband’s death. “He was 36. I was told that he had a studio and his father had retired from the Irrigation Department. He seemed quite healthy when we got married. But soon after, he often contracted fever and other infections which made him weak. I was told that he died of an attack. I had never heard about this disease. It was three weeks after his death that my family wanted to get me remarried and they took me for a pregnancy screening test at Civil Hospital Jalandhar where I came to know that I too have HIV,” she rues.

“The doctors enquired about my case and zeroed in on my deceased husband. They showed me his files and told me that I had contracted HIV from him and that he was taking medicine from the hospital for 17 years. I was also told that he used to inject drugs, due to which he got infected with HIV virus,” she says, accusing her in-laws for not telling her about his medical condition.

“They have ruined my life. They made me widow at a young age, besides infecting me with a deadly disease. I want exemplary punishment for them so that no other girl like me gets into such a trap ever again,” her pitch of voice goes higher.

She goes on, “For a year, I have fought with the police making them calls often asking them about the status of my complaint.”

Kewal Singh, SHO, Goraya, confirmed having got the complaints. Well-verse with the entire case, he said, “I had called both sides two weeks back. The girl’s uncle told me that they were now moving the High Court. We are waiting for the court orders in the case and act accordingly.”

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